Telegraph-key.



H. 0. DAUPHINAIS.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

APPLICATION FILLED NOV. 27, 1912.

1,064,81 9, Patented June 17,1913.

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HENRY CLEMENT DAUPHINAIS, OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

Application filed November 27, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY CLEMENTDALTTXHNAIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fargo, in thecounty of Cass and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Telegraph-Keys; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved telegraph key,especially designed to afford a better and more natural grip for thefingers of the operator, so as to avoid cramps and paralysis of thewrist and arm, common to telegraphers.

To the above ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvedtelegraph key; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the knob end of the telegraphkey; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken on the line m m of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates the key frame or base secured to a desk or othersuitable support in the customary manner.

The numeral 2 indicates the key lever intermediately pivoted at 3 to thekey frame 1 in the customary manner, and the numerals 4t and 5 indicate,respectively, the key lever adjusting screw and the key lever tensiondevice.

Circuit contacts on the key frame 1 and the key lever 2 are indicated,respectively, by the numerals 6 and 7 and the switch for opening andclosing the circuit is indicated, as an entirety, by the numeral 8.

All of the above described parts maybe of the standard or any suitableconstruction.

Referring now to my improvements in the telegraph key, the numeral 9indicates the key lever knob, having, on its top or upper surface, areducedhub extension 10. The knob 9 and its hub extension are ofsubstantially the same thickness and their peripheral edges arepreferably formed flat, as best shown in Fig. 8. The knob 9 isdetachably secured to the key lever 2, in the Specification of LettersPatent. Patented June 17, 1913.

Serial No. 733,820.

customary manner, by means of a screw threaded stud 11 having screwthreaded engagement with an internally screw threaded seat formed 'inthe key lever 2. At its upper end, this stud 11 is seated in adepression formed in the depending reduced base exten sion 12 of theknob 9, and is held against rotation and removal therefrom by a lock pin13, passed transversely through the stud 11 and base extension 12.

To the hub extension 10 is secured an upwardly and rearwardly inclinedfinger plece or ring extension 14,-, terminating, at its lower end, in alaterally projecting foot or base section 15, which rests upon the topface of the hub extension 10. Underlying the foot section 15 andcompletely covered thereby, is a nut block 16 seated in a depressionformed in the upper central portion of the hub extension 10, with itsupper face extending flush with the top of the hub extension 10. A pairof diametrically opposite lock pins 17 are passed through the hubextension 10 and into the nut block 16, to secure the same in position.The finger piece 1 1 is adjustably and detachably secured in position bya set screw 18, passed through the foot section 15 and into the nutblock 16. As best shown, in Fig. 3, the foot section 15 is beveled inall directions from the finger piece 1 1, to a sharp outer edge thatforms a smooth surface where the same joins the hub extension 10. Thejoint between the finger piece 14 and foot section 15 is on a gradualcurve, and the head of the set screw 18 is beveled to conform to thegeneral shape of the top of the foot section 15. As shown in Fig. 2, thefinger piece 14 and its foot section 15 are formed with knurled surfacesto afford a better finger grip.

The improved knob is preferably formed from vulcanized rubber and thefinger piece 1 1 from aluminum, but any other suitable materials may beused. The tops of the knob 9 and its hub extension 10 are preferablyknurled, as shown in Fig. 2.

To operate the key lever 2, the finger piece 1 1 is preferably grippedbetween the thumb and first finger of the operator, with his secondfinger resting on the peripheral edge of the knob 9. Obviously, thefinger piece 14, which is swiveled to the hub extension 10 by the screw18, may be set in different adjustments, to suit the grip and positionof the operator.

The above described device, while extremely simple and of small cost tomanufacture, is thought to be highly elficient for the purpose had inview.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a telegraph key lever, of a knob secured to saidlever and having a flat finger piece set Oblique and forming acontinuous extension of said knob.

2. The combination with a telegraph key lever, of a knob secured to saidlever, an upwardly projecting flat finger piece set oblique to andforming a continuous exten sion of said knob, and common means forsecuring said finger piece to said knob and in diilerent adjustmentsthereto.

3. The combination with a telegraph key lever, of a knob secured to saidlever and having an upwardly projecting reduced hub extension, a nutblock seated in said hub extension, and an upwardly and rearwardlyprojecting flat finger piece, having a foot section resting on said hubextension, and a set screw passed through said foot section and havingscrew threaded engagement with said nut block, said set screw beingadapted to hold said finger piece in different pivoted adjustments withrespect to said knob, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY CLEMENT DAUPHINAIS lVitnesses Enw. S. JOHNSON, C. C. HAwLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe 'flommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

